Tearing Down the Establishment
by BeguilingBijon
Summary: Bijon of the Fire Nation, a man highly attuned to the spirit world, enjoyed a simple life pretending to be a travelling magician. However, that all changes when he receives a visit from a member of an underground organization based out Republic City with an intimidating demand that could change the world. Time frame for story would be early Book 3, just prior to the new airbenders.
1. Five of Clubs

The smell of salty, sugary treats filled the air as many oohs and aahs escaped from the large tent resting along the outskirts of a small town within the Fire Nation. Applause and laughter was not uncommon to the few men who stood outside, carefully discarding of the tickets they had acquired from the local populace who had gathered in the tent to see the Beguiling Bijon.

"Peh, stupid name." One of the ticket gatherers stared at the ridiculously colourful sign inviting all to come see the great Bijon, the self-proclaimed greatest magician alive. The audience within the tent certainly seemed to agree with Bijon's assessment of himself as they clapped excitedly at his tricks. It was said that it was impossible to tell whether Bijon was a bender or simply a very skilled trickster.

Within the tent, the lanky middle aged Bijon stepped down off his makeshift wooden stage, the poorly crafted steps creaking with each soft step of his polished shoes. Patting his tuxedo down, Bijon removed his top hat to show off his short and scruffy red hair, a stark contrast to his finely maintained facial hair which included a carefully trimmed goatee. Bijon waved the hat around slightly in his gloved hand as he spoke, his soft voice bringing smiles to the onlookers. "Well my friends, I hate to say that our time together is soon coming to a close. It has been a tremendous evening, has it not?"

The audience clapped in agreement, bringing a large grin to Bijon's face. "I'll miss all of you, too! I will be venturing to the Earth Nation tomorrow and will not be back or some time, so I shall leave you with one of my personal favourite tricks."

Resting his hat back on top of his head, Bijon pulled a deck of cards out of a pocket and tossed it to a young woman in the front row. "My dear! Remove those cards and verify that it is a full deck. Every card is indeed unique, no two are alike."

The woman excitedly opened the box and removed the cards, examining them before holding them up for all to see. It was indeed a full deck of cards.

"Now, my dear..." Bijon's voice brought her attention back to him. "You will pick one card. You will not tell me what it is, and you will not let anyone see it. Choose that card and then place it in your pocket before putting the rest of the deck into your other pocket."

The woman nervously complied as she sifted through the cards before settling on one and putting it in her right pocket. After putting the rest of the deck in her left pocket before speaking up in a nervous voice. "I-I'm ready!"

"Excellent!" Bijon clasped his hands together as he grinned to the young woman. Now, pick anyone from the audience who you witnessed coming here on their own tonight. Be it a friend or a neighbour, it matters not! When you pick one of your fellow audience members, ask that person what card you have. I promise you, they will know it and inform you of what card you selected without hesitation!"

The woman looked dumbfounded, but she complied as she stood up and looked the audience over before smiling warmly to an elderly lady in the back. The young woman knew her, she was indeed a local from town and she happened to have absolutely terrible eyesight. As the young woman lifted a hand and pointed her finger at the old woman, Bijon grinned as he pulled his hat down over his eyes to obscure them from the audience before speaking to the young woman. "Ask her, my dear."

The young woman was almost giddy at the prospect of the trick working as she stammered the words out of her mouth. "W-What card do I have?"

The old woman smiled politely as she pointed towards the young woman's pocket. "The five of clubs, dear."

There was silence for a moment before the young woman went into hysterical laughter, pulling the five of clubs out of her pocket and showing it excitedly to everyone. When she finally turned around to face Bijon with her eyes glimmering of excitement, he chose not to respond over the noise of the audience clapping in awe and admiration. Instead, Bijon simply smiled to the young woman warmly as he shrugged a shoulder.

"H-How did you... ?"

Bijon raised a gloved finger and pressed it to the young woman's lips to silence her. "Shhh... magic, my dear." 

* * *

An hour after the show, and the crowd had vanished from the tent. Bijon's few workers had already taken the tent down and packed up his props as he ducked out into the trees to relieve himself. Another successful show, what more could he ask for? He truly was putting his gift to excellent work, and it was supporting his family more than any true job ever would. Bending? Magic? Bijon's tricks were neither, though the mystery of his show made it impossible to tell otherwise.

"Ah, that was nice." Giving himself a shake and pulling his pants up, Bijon turned to return back to his crew but did not make it even one step from his position. Standing before him was a young man with scraggly black hair with bangs that hung low over his face. The young man's face was hard and stern, his gaze focused intently on Bijon. There was a calculated coldness to the stare. Bijon averted his gaze for a moment, sizing the man up as he looked him over. He seemed to be wearing a heavy cloak suited for travelling. Bijon knew that the man could be hiding anything underneath the cloak, even a weapon. Swallowing hard, Bijon met the man's eyes again and finally found his voice. "May I help you?"

"Yes Bijon, you can. We have need of your gift." The man's baritone voice was deep and almost threatening. Bijon watched as he reached into his cloak, pulling something out and holding it out for Bijon to see. "Do you know what this symbolizes?"

Bijon's eyes widened slightly before nodding his head. "E-Er, yeah... I was performing in Republic City when that man was..." His voice trailed off as he shook his head. "What does this mean?"

The stranger grinned, almost fiendishly, as he introduced himself. "My name is Katashi. You are going to help us, Bijon. Your gift, you are deeply talented. You are a spiritual master, aren't you? Your tricks all revolve around exploiting the spirits, the very souls, of your onlookers."

Bijon did not respond as the man continued. "You exert your soul upon others, you suppress them within their very bodies... yet they do not know? That poor old lady certainly did not."

"What do you want with me?" Bijon's response was short and simple, refusing to acknowledge the man's knowledge of the dark side of Bijon's magic act.

"We need to make use of your... expertise. If you do not come with me, you will never see your family ever again. Your daughters, your wife, never again." Katashi lifted what was in his hand to his face. Resting what was the mask of Amon against his face lightly, he peered out at Bijon and let an unseen smirk spread across his face. "The Equalists, and Amon's ideals, need your gift."


	2. A Satomobile Built For Two

An outstretched hand presented the replica of Amon's mask to Bijon, awaiting his response in silence. Bijon stared down at the mask, clammy hands clenched nervously as he weighed the situation in his mind. After a moment, he raised his eyes to the the one holding the mask, the man calling himself Katashi.

"My family, you said that I will never see them again if I don't... ?"

Katashi gave the slightest of nods. "Yes, Bijon. They are with us, they are presently safe." He almost seemed to place emphasis on the presently part, worrying Bijon slightly. "You are a family man, are you not? Then take my offering and come with us, you will be glad that you did when you are reunited with your loved ones."

There was a slight hesitation in the movement of Bijon's reaching hand as, for a moment, he wondered if Katashi's words were merely a ploy to force him into cooperating... but if they were not?

His hand took hold of the mask, prompting Katashi to release his grip. "Very good, Bijon. Now, let's walk."

Bijon did not protest and merely turend to follow Katashi as he began walking deeper into the forest. They proceeded in silence for quite some time, and Bijon made note of several shadows moving with them in the trees. Katashi had most certainly not come alone.

Eventually, it was Katashi who broke the silence. "Explain your... gift to me, Bijon. How do you remain undetected, even in your magic shows?"

Bijon's eyes drifted up to where his hat would normally be visible. "It's simple. It only requires a very quick meditation. I pull my hat down and lean my head forward so that none can see that I close my eyes."

"And then?" There was definitely a hint of interest in Katashi's voice.

"I enter the Spirit World, but only for an instant. I immediately return, though I confuse the process by masking my spiritual energies, my soul. As I do this, I use the Spirit World as a conduit to send me to a different body where I briefly suppress the inhabitant's soul."

"Intriguing. Do they have any knowledge or memories of this?"

"No, not that that I am aware of." The walk dragged on and on, prompting Bijon to share more information in an effort to pass time. "When they are suppressed, their own soul acts as... a tool of sorts for me to harvest information and knowledge from. In short, it allows me to access their mind, their memories. With some souls, it takes more time to suppress them due to their innate ability to be more resilient to suppression."

"Then you may have quite the fight on your hands soon, Bijon." There was a hint of wry amusement in Katashi's voice. Bijon thought to ask what he meant by the comment, but the forest opening to reveal a dirt road with a pair of Satomobiles silenced him. Katashi halted his steps and turned to face Bijon. "You will be riding with me."

Katashi motioned for Bijon to follow, and he cautiously complied as he was escorted to the nearest vehicle. He carefully climbed into the rear seat before being handed a pair of goggles, which he strapped on. Katashi followed, resting himself in the front seat before looking towards the second car. The shadows from before had revealed themselves to be two men who concealed their faces behind curious helmets with glowing slots where there should have been eyes. Bijon's fixation on the strange helmets was interrupted when Katashi called out to them. "You two trail behind me. Do not, under any circumstances, proceed ahead of my vehicle!" A stare directed at Bijon made it all too clear that Katashi wanted the other car to behind them for his own safety.

Settling back into the seat, Katashi turned the ignition. The Satomobile's engine roared to life and was immediately put into motion by Katashi. The two vehicles wasted no time in trying to clear the forest. It was evident that Katashi wished to clear the forest, and the location that Bijon would inevitably be declared missing in, as quickly as possible. 

* * *

A few hours had passed. The drive seemed to go on forever, and Bijon had difficulties telling just how far they had gone. Restlessness was beginning to set in as he peered at the surrounding nature that was quickly passing them by. He was tired of sitting still for so long, and the lack of communication with Katashi was frustrating him. Eventually, Bijon leaned forward and spoke loud enough for Katashi to hear over the Satomobile. "Just what do you need me for?"

A smirk spread across Katashi's face as he turned his head slightly to acknowledge Bijon. "We are the Equalists, Bijon. Amon may no longer be with us, but his vision never left. We stand for a free world without the bending establishment, without tyranny. Amon could take away the power to bend and, when we lost him, those of us who were still devoted to his cause and believed that his words were indeed destiny laid low and waited for an opportunity to present itself to us. That opportunity is you."

Bijon almost let out a laugh of disbelief as he shook his head. "I can't take away bending! How can I possibly be the solution you seek!?"

"You? No, you can't take away bending." There was silence for a moment as Katashi planted his gaze firmly on the road ahead. "But the Avatar can, and with your help? The Avatar will."

It suddenly dawned on Bijon what was in store for him and just what the Equalists had wanted him for. The weight of their plans for him forced Bijon to slump back into the rear seat and simply gaze off into the distance in disbelief. He knew that this could not end well, but for whom? Bijon did not know.


	3. The Cat in the Sky

"A cat standing with a cane!"

Asami quirked an eyebrow as she peered towards Korra. "Really? Hm... I still just see a whale."

The two young woman sat at the base of Avatar Aang's statue, peering up at the clouds that lazily drifted by overhead and calling out what they looked like to one another. Asami's logical mind had been taking the shape of the clouds literally, but Korra's complicated mind had been finding things in the clouds that Asami couldn't see for the life of her.

"You don't think?" Korra looked from Asami and back to the cloud before pouting slightly. "Oh, it changed shape a little. I hate how clouds do that."

Asami smiled and let out a content sigh, nodding against the stone behind her head. "Yeah, I mean... you see one that really captures your imagination and you think looks really neat, but then it's gone the next second."

"I wish I could fly up there and airbend them back into shape." Korra blinked quickly as she mulled her words over, smiling slightly. "I can't imagine even being able to fly, it hasn't been done by anyone for such a long time."

Asami's eyes followed a passing gull overhead, a small laugh escaping her. "Yeah, that would be pretty neat. I'm not sure how to feel about that though because, if you could fly, you could probably bankrupt Future Industries in an instant!"

A series of confused blinks was Korra's initial reaction as she tilted her head towards Asami. "I don't think I follow."

"Well, you know." Asami relaxed slightly, sinking lower against the statue as she looked to Korra with a grin. "You could ferry people around by flying and bending at the same time, right? If you were given a choice to be ferried by the Avatar or a boring Future Industries airship, which would you pick?"

Korra could only laugh as she looked back up to the cloud that had once looked like a cat with a cane but was now completely unrecognizable. "I don't know about that, you'd probably be able to give people a more luxurious ride. I think I'd get a lot of complaints about my ride being pretty bumpy!"

Smiling, Asami turned her eyes to look towards the vine covered Republic City for a moment before shifting them back to Korra. "Does President Raiko really expect you to do something about all those vines?"

Leaning forward with a groan, Korra stared off towards the much greener than before city. "Ugh, Tenzin told me that the President demanded a meeting with me over them. What am I seriously supposed to do about it? I'm the Avatar, not... well, whatever you call someone who relocates spirits!"

"And the spirits are living in them, too." Asami sighed, shaking her head. "I wouldn't be able to live with all of the pressure people put on you. Being in charge of my father's company already feels like the most stressful job in the world to me sometimes, I can't even fathom how you must feel."

Korra just laughed as she pressed herself into an upright sitting position. "It's kind of frustrating sometimes, but it's manageable thanks to the people I have around me. Tenzin, Mako, Bolin, you." With that, Korra smiled to Asami. "We really should spend more time together, I haven't had an actual girl friend for years! I've been surrounded by old people and guys like Bolin and Mako."

With the mention of Bolin and Mako, Korra made a joking face of disgust, prompting a laugh from Asami. "I agree, it's nice having someone who I can relate to. I mean, I really like Bolin and Mako, but sometimes you need a woman's perspective."

"Ugh, tell me about it!" Korra thumped her head against the statue behind her as she grinned to her friend. "I'm going to see the President first thing tomorrow, tonight I just need to relax. I'm going to go watch a pro bending match, want to come?"

Asami shook her head as she exhibited an apologetic smile. "I'd love to, but I have I have to undo the damage done to Future Industries by Varrick. Maybe tomorrow if there's a good match up?"

"Sure! I guess I'm on my own tonight then, I've asked everyone except Tenzin and I know he won't sit through a match if I'm not actually in it. I think the Red Sands Rabaroos have a match tomorrow, we can go for that one?"

"Sounds good to me!" Asami leaned forward and stretched her arms before climbing to her feet. "I should probably be getting back, though. I have so much paperwork to look at, and I'd love to get it out of the way as soon as I can. Have fun at the bending match tonight, okay?"

Korra held up a hand to wave goodbye slightly. "I will! Don't overwork yourself, Asami!"

A laugh escaped Asami as she waved in return before turning to walk off. "I won't. See you later, Korra."

And, with that, Korra was alone. It was one of the rare moments where that was the case these days. She loved every moment of her alone time, and she intended on making good use of it prior to her meeting with President Raiko. She knew that there was no doubt over how he would react to Korra not being able to deal with the vines. She laughed slightly to herself as she pictured the President's stern mug in her mind before pulling her knees up and resting her chin on them, arms wrapped around her legs gently as she stared off towards the pro bending arena. At least she had one stress-free activity to look forward to before what was undoubtedly going to be a very hectic day.

"May as well make the best of it!" Korra chirped to herself. 


	4. The Autograph and the Abyss

"And the Hydro Hyenas are knocked out, giving the victory to the Yue Bay Bandits!"

The announcer's excited voice boomed throughout the pro bending arena as the crowd cheered on the victors. A smiling Korra stood up from her seat and clapped loudly for the Yue Bay Bandits, even though she had been cheering on the Hydro Hyenas. It had still been an exciting match, and it was impossible for Korra not to smile at the display of skill between the two teams. The Yue Bay Bandits had fought a very tough game, and their streategy ultimately led them to victory.

All around Korra, the crowd began to shuffle and evacuate the aisles as everyone enthusiastically discussed the match. Korra herself wanted to talk about it, but she was at a loss to do so as a result of attending the match by herself. Korra shuffled along to get out of the aisles, stopping frequently to chat up people who were excited to see the Avatar in the stands with them. Eventually, she managed to get into the main hallway. Last time she had been in the hall, it was after leaving a match as a competitor. A nostalgic sigh escaped Korra as she looked down the hall in the opposite direction towards the competitor locker rooms and lounges. It had been a little while now since she last visited them, and she'd love to have a chat with the two teams. A grin spread across her face as she turned and started making her way down the hall.

As Korra made her way down the hall, the crowd of people became thinner and thinner as everyone made their way towards the exit. Eventually, it reached a point where the only people Korra shared the hall with were arena staff members walking past her. She was nearing the locker room that she had prepared in so often in the past, a glowing smile spreading across her face. "I can't wait to see their faces when they see that I've come to talk to them!"

However, just a few feet from the door, there was a sound of footsteps followed by a voice. "Excuse me, are you Avatar Korra?"

Korra turned to see a middle aged man standing before her. He looked genuinely kind, though something about him struck Korra as being rather tense. Perhaps he was just nervous at the prospect of meeting the Avatar. Korra smiled as she held out her hand. "That's me, Avatar Korra."

"Wow, I can't believe it's really you! I'm a big supporter of what you do, and I was a big fan of your team. Can I get an autograph? I mean, if it isn't too much trouble? I'd hate to interrupt you if you're busy!"

The man had a nervous but hopeful look on his face, and Korra couldn't say no to a fan. "Of course, I'd love to give you an autograph!"

"Great!" The man reached into his pocket to pull out a piece of paper and a pen. As he held them out towards Korra, the pen wiggled and dropped to the floor. He immediately looked apologetic as he started to lean down. "Ah, oops!"

"I'll get that for you!" Korra offered her words with a smile as she leaned down, It was then, out of the corner of her eye, that she noticed the man's other hand resting slightly behind his back. There was a glove on it that looked all too familiar. A glove that she had dealt with many times against the...

Before she was even able to process the thought, her vulnerable position was exploited. The electrified glove connected with her face, giving Korra an extensive blast of electricity which promptly made her collapse onto the floor. Standing above, Bijon furrowed his brow as he leaned down to push Korra onto her back, verifying that she had been zapped unconscious. He looked down at her with a hint of regret in his eyes before letting out a long sigh. "This isn't right, but... my family..."

Resting a hand on the shoulder of the unconscious Korra, Bijon closed his eyes and immediately entered his heightened state of meditation. One moment he was staring down at the Avatar, the next he was breezing into the sky of the Spirit World, and the next? Colours, thousands of vibrant colours. Dozens, if not hundreds, that the human eye could not even normally process. Bijon's soul spirited through the colours at tremendous speed, resulting in the colours all blurring and meshing together to form golden streams of blue, gold and white... and then there was darkness. Bijon knew this darkness well, it was the abyss of another's mind. Without a second thought, he began to swim upward through the abyss, Swimming and swimming until his face finally broke water. Before him, sitting on the shore of a tropical island, was confused looking Korra. However, when she spotted Bijon emerge from the endless expanse of black water, she stood up in a hurry and glared at him.

"You! What did you do to me? Where is this!?"

Bijon took a few slow steps forward onto the sand where he sized Korra up before speaking to her in a matter of fact tone. "We're in your head, Korra. Deep inside of your mind. We're here so that I can replace you as the Avatar."

Korra tilted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes as she spoke quickly. "You think that you can just do that? Become me? I don't know why you're doing this, but I'll be damned if I'll let you get away with it!"

With that, Korra proceeded to thrust a blast of air at Bijon to knock him off balance... or at least that is what she intended to do. Her eyes widened as she realized that she could not bend. Bijon began to step towards her slowly. "You cannot bend here, Avatar Korra. This is not the real world and, in here, you are no stronger than any other girl your age."

Korra gritted her teeth as she looked around quickly, shaking her head furiously before staring Bijon down. "Inside of my own mind? You've got to be kidding me, you don't stand a chanc-" Her words were cut off as shackles suddenly clamped tightly shut all over her body, the sound of chains jingling about loudly. No words came as a result of a metallic faceguard being planted over her mouth. Korra could only widen her eyes in surprise as she went down as a result of losing her balance from the sudden restrainments.

"I'm sorry, Avatar Korra." Bijon kneeled down beside her and looked the chains and shackles over before looking her in the eyes. "I'm not doing this because I want to, I'm doing it because I have to. If I don't, I will never see my family ever again. I promise you, this will not last long."

A ferociously angry Korra glared at him in confusion before being scooped up and carried towards the endless black waters that bordered the island. "I will release you soon, you have my word."

And, with that, Korra was thrust into the dark abyss where she simply sank. She could not comprehend what had just happened, or what was going to happen. All she knew was that, for whatever reason, she was powerless even in her own mind to the mysterious stranger who was intending on usurping control of her body from her.

That's the last thing Korra remembered before the light above faded and she descended into complete darkness. 

* * *

"I'm in position." Katashi sat up and looked towards the two way radio that rested nearby as he hid behind the pro bending arena. The voice on the other end was distinctly feminine. A large grin spread across Katachi's face as he realized that Bijon had been successful.

Fingers quickly snapped at two Equalists dressed in civilian clothes followed by orders barked from Katachi. "You two, retrieve Bijon's body. I will meet our Avatar friend at the rendezvous point. The Equalists nodded firmly before turning and sneaking into the back of the arena. Katashi opened his coat and looked at Amon's mask as it rested against the inside. "Time to deliver you to your successor."


	5. Looking the Part

The Republic City underground tunnel network had once been bustling with Equalist activity but, after the fall of Amon and apprehension of many Equalists, the tunnels became largely disused once again. However, within one moderately sized compound, hollowed out beyond even the most inaccessible of tunnels, Bijon stood staring at his reflection in a dirtied mirror as an oil lantern sat nearby on a busted table. Behind him, Katashi simply watched in silence with two silent Equalists standing further back behind him. Katashi watched Bijon's face, trying to guess what was going through his mind. After another moment, Bijon broke the silence by answering Katashi's unasked questions.

"Korra was having a pretty nice day until now. I feel terrible about doing this."

"How does this differ from your little magic show antics?" Katashi's tone was rather blunt, but genuinely curious as well. He truly did not understand what set this apart from the brief boughts of taking control of others in Bijon's magic show.

"Well, I never took control of anyone for longer than a few seconds in my show. It was only done to wow people, even if it was still inherently wrong. It was used for fun, for amusement. This... isn't like that."

Bijon looked at his reflection and put a hand to his cheek, brow furrowing as he did so. "How long do you want me to... ?"

"Indefinitely, but not forever. There are, after all, a lot of benders." Katashi stepped towards Bijon and looked his body over with a grin. "I would be lying if I said that Avatar Korra is not easy on the eyes in this attire of hers, but I would like you to change into something more representative of our organization."

"Which is?" Bijon turned his gaze towards Katashi, watching as he motioned towards an outfit that was strikingly similar to the one which Amon had once worn. Beside the outfit rested the mask from before. It was exactly as Bijon feared, he was to become the new Amon inside of Korra's body.

Several minutes later, and Bijon was tending to the final button of the jacket he had been advised to wear. When the final button was secured, he pulled the hood up over his head and turned to look into the mirror. The dark slate gray outfit of Amon was a stark contrast to the soft features of Korra's face, which were only softened further by the saddened expression Bijon wore.

"Why the long face?" Katashi approached Bijon with a wry smile, though there was a slight hint of concern in his voice. "We can't have our figurehead walking around with a mopey expression, Bijon. Why don't we cover it up?" He motioned towards the mask on resting on the broken table with a nod. Bijon complied with a word and picked the mask up, securing it gently over Korra's face. He blinked awkwardly, not used to the feeling of such a thing covered his face, before looking in the mirror. He let out a quiet sigh before shaking his head. "At least this covers her face, I feel a little less guilty now."

"I want you to feel no guilt." Katashi's voice lacked empathy with that statement, prompting a moderately surprised Bijon to glance towards him. "You are doing this for the safety of your family, correct? Feel no guilt, Bijon. Family is everything, and Avatar Korra? She is nothing but a stranger to you, a vessel for you to utilize in the name of our cause."

"Korra is still a girl with ambitions and desires, thoughts and feelings. It doesn't make this prolonged violation of her life any more justified." Bijon did not break his gaze from the mirror, but the tone in his borrowed voice surprised him. There was a level of firmness to Korra's voice that he did not expect and, judging from Katashi's response, neither did he. The two Equalists lingering in the back of the room were more difficult to read, as their faces were obscured by the standard Equalist helmets.

Katashi leaned on one foot as he looked Bijon over. "Well, I certainly cannot have our trump card feeling upset. Keep your mind on your family, Bijon. Nothing else. Think of the joy you will feel when you are reunited with them and they are unharmed."

Bijon, however, didn't appear to be paying much attention to Katashi as he had raised a hand, staring at the slender palm. After several long seconds, Katashi felt inclined to ask what Bijon was doing, but an answer came on its own. A small fire erupted in Bijon's hand. With a few flick of his fingers, the flame danced about for a moment before he snapped his fingers shut to put the flames out. The two looked at each other, a slight look of surprise on Katashi's face. "You can bend?"

"Of course I can." Bijon looked back to his hand for a moment before turning his gaze to Katashi. I told you before, the suppressed soul of any given body acts as a tool, giving me access to everything the body has to offer."

"So you are more than just the Avatar in appearance. You know everything she knows and are capable of... reaching the height of her capabilities?"

A slender hand reached up to remove the mask, allowing Bijon to once again glimpse Korra's face. "I think so, but I've never hopped into a bender and tried to exploit their power."

Katashi's hand reached out to take hold of Bijon's, holding the hand up slightly and motioning towards it. "But you will be doing plenty of that, my friend. The Avatar can take away bending. You know what that means?" Bijon did not respond as he simply looked back at Katashi, well aware of what it meant.

"It means, Bijon, that you will be rendering several benders powerless... and we are starting immediately. Come, and wear that mask." With that, Katashi was already headed for the door with the two Equalists in tow. Bijon sighed, reaching for the mask once more and securing it to his face before following. 


	6. That Makes Seven

It was a quiet night in Republic City as Jin, a member of the pro bending team known as the Yue Bay Bandits, leaned against a boardwalk railing to overlook Yue Bay itself. In the distance, Jin observed the statue of Avatar Aang and smiled before standing up straight. He held back a yawn as he turned to lean his back against the railing, eyes trailing the ground as he thought back to his team's victory over the Hydro Hyenas a few hours ago. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the figure walking towards him until they were directly in front of him.

Jin lifted his eyes to the feminine figure before him and immediately widened his eyes. The outfit, the mask, they were both frighteningly familiar. The visage before him looked all too similar to that of Amon, the Equalist radical who had taken the bending away from Tahno, leader of the White Falls Wolfbats. Fear gripped Jin as the figure stood in silence before him until he was finally able to blurt out a few words. "W-Who are you?"

It was at this moment that Katashi stepped into view, not far behind the masked Bijon. Katashi's hands raised quickly and, with a snap of his fingers, an Equalist shot over the railing behind the young Jin and slammed a chi blocker to his chest with excessive force. Jin gasped for air as he collapsed to the ground, prompting the Equalist to hold him in place as Bijon stepped forward. Jin watched as a slender female hand moved towards his face. As the fingers pressed themselves to his forehead, Jin felt his consciousness slip away.

* * *

"Another report!?" Lin Beifong slammed a fist down on her desk, growling as she looked at the officer standing in her doorway. She waved a hand dismissively at the officer before resting back in her chair. "Fine, send this one in. This is the fourth one, I want to know what happened in this city last night!"

A moment later, the officer escorted the Yue Bay Bandits' Jin into Lin Beifong's office and motioned for him to sit across from her. The young bender complied and sat in the chair. He fiddled nervously, unable to keep his hands still as his eyes fell to the desk. Lin leaned forward to look the young man over before speaking to him in what was, for Lin Beifong, a calm and friendly tone. "Young man, would you mind telling me what happened to you last night as best as you can recall?"

Jin nodded weakly before lifting his gaze to meet Lin's. She quickly observed how broken and weak the young man looked. Without a word, she waited for him to gather his thoughts as she took notice of his eyes moving back and forth as his mind worked. After a moment, he was able to muster some words for her.

"Well, I... I was out near Yue Bay just sorta chilling after our big win last night and, I... I turned around to rest against a railing and that's when I saw her." He paused, clearing his throat before looking mildly flustered. "She was dressed just like that Amon guy, even the mask... the mask was the same. She got this guy to hold me down and then she took my..." Jin's words simply trailed off as his head dropped. He shook his head slowly before his voice returned to him, albeit quieter and weaker than before, prompting Lin to lean forward more. "She took my bending away."

Lin leaned back in her chair and sighed, looking down at the three previous reports of benders with similar stories. As she opened her mouth to speak to the young ex-bender again, the officer who had led Jin into the office appeared in the door once more. "Uh, Chief? Two more reports just came in."

This was not news that Lin Beifong wanted to receive. Biting her lip out of frustration, she stared at Jin for a moment before motioning to the officer. "See that he gets home safely. Is Mako at his desk?" The officer looked over his shoulder for a moment before turning back to Lin and nodding.

"Good, send him in and bring me every single report so that I can figure out what the hell is going on here!" Lin's harsher tone made the skittish Jin squirm slightly before the officer escorted him from the office. A moment later, Mako stepped into the office with a handful of papers. He motioned down to them and sighed. "I was handed another report just as I was walking over. That makes seven."

All Lin could do was grit her teeth as she stared out the window in frustration for a moment before glancing back to Mako. "I have a job for you, Mako." 

* * *

Deep within Fire Fountain City, two Fire Nation inhabitants stared at the missing persons report attached to a bulletin board in a local shop.

"Disappeared into thin air, huh? Typical, he was a magician after all."

"But his family, too. A wife and two children, that's kind of fishy!"

"Yeah, I... I guess I never thought about that part."

And, with that, the two men turned and walked off with their purchased goods. Back to their families.


	7. The Belated Introduction

Darkness. There was nothing else. Not a single sight or sound to be found, only an impenetrable darkness. She had tried to yell, to scream, to cry. Nothing yielded any result or even any response. All Korra could do was remain idle in the dark expanse, awaiting any change at all. She so desperately wished to sleep to pass time, but sleep was only needed by her physical body. Now she was a prisoner inside of that very body.

Suddenly, there was light. Korra strained her eyes to view the growing light above her and, within moments, her face breached the black waters of her mind. This time, she was not on a desert island but rather her room on Air Temple Island. The black waters, once an ocean, had been reduced to a pool in the middle of the floor. Sitting in a chair not far away was the man who had usurped her body from her. As her spirit body floated upward to rest on the surface of the black water, the restraint covering her mouth fell from her and into the abyssal depths underneath her. She blinked before taking a deep breath, unable to form a single word for a moment.

"My name is Bijon, and I'm here to explain myself while I physically sleep in the real world."

Korra quirked a brow as she finally spoke, her venomous tone carried her emotions all too well and it was evident that she felt thoroughly violated. "In my body, right?"

Bijon nodded. "For the time being, yes. I'm sorry, Avatar Korra. If there was any other way..."

"Tell me what's going on, Bijon. Everything." Korra's voice was authoritative and firm.

"Very well." Bijon leaned forward in his chair and he looked down to Korra. "I was approached recently by a man named Katashi. Do you know anyone by that name?" Korra furrowed her brow before shaking her head. Bijon continued. "I didn't think so. He is linked to a name that I presume you know fairly well, though. Amon?"

Korra's eyes widened. "Amon!? Is he... ?"

"Back? No, but Katashi wants to see Amon's ambitions realized. He wants to remove bending from the world. Before I even knew this, he threatened me by saying that I would never see my family if I did not cooperate." Bijon stopped to gauge Korra's reaction, though she remained just as upset looking. "You see, I am... attuned to the energies of spirits and souls much more so than perhaps anyone I've ever heard tell of. Do I flaunt this? No, it is something I prefer to keep to myself. It was Katashi who approached me and wanted me to use my gift on you, Avatar Korra. The reason for this was very explicit, the Equalists want bending to be removed from the world. You are capable of doing just that."

"So, let me get this straight. This Katashi is holding your family at ransom and will harm them if you don't use my body to take everyone's bending away?" Korra simply glared at Bijon as she awaited an answer, but all he did was nod. This prompted her to continue. "It's awful that your family is being held hostage with their lives hanging in the balance Bijon, but is this really the only way? To take my body and my free will from me, against my will no less, so that you can destroy the lives of many? Just to satisfy terrorists!?"

Bijon closed his eyes and let his head drop slightly. "I know how it looks, Avatar Korra, but I love my family. They are my life, and I can't let any harm come to them. I don't want to do the things Katashi expects from me, but I don't see any other way around this."

"Bijon!" Korra almost yelled his name at him, prompting his eyes to snap open in surprise. "You're the Avatar! Is there anyone else the Equalists have who can take bending away?" Bijon shook his head slightly before Korra continued. "So what would they do if you turned against them? They need my body and they need you in it, they're not going to hurt your family!"

"No, if I am uncooperative then it won't be any different than if they had kidnapped you and you refused to do as they say. They will hurt my family, Avatar Korra. There is no other... way... ?" Bijon blinked quickly before shaking his head. "Unless?"

"Unless what?"

"I can't release you, because I don't know where my body even is. Avatar Korra, I don't like any of this and I feel just the same as you. I want it to end. I promise you I will find a way to end this sooner than Katashi wants."

"Great, and you have a plan?" Korra simply stared at him with a quirked brow, frustration still etched deeply into her face.

Bijon nodded slightly to Korra. "Mako."

Korra's eyes fluttered wildly. "How do you know about Mako? Did you take his bending away fro-"

"No!" It was now Bijon's turn to be firm, which silenced Korra. "I have your mind and memories at my disposal, I know all about your boyf- er, your friend Mako. I do not know how I will lead him down the path I want, but he is the only solution I can think of."

"What are you going to do with Mako?" There was genuine concern in Korra's voice now at the thought of Mako getting involved in the affairs of a man who was working for the Equalists against his will.

"Detective Mako will locate my body and my family and, when he does, I will release them."

"Release them? In my body, I'm assuming?" The response to her question was a lone nod. "And then you will release me from this prison in my own head?"

"Yes, and I will leave with my family. You will never hear from me or see me after that."

There was silence for a moment before Korra sighed. "You better be serious about wanting to end this. If you think Mako can locate your family, then talk to him, just... don't give him any reason to suspect that you're not me. If Mako knows there's someone controlling my body other than me, he's not going to care about the Equalists or finding your family. He will only care about me."

Bijon nodded as he stood from the chair slowly. "I'm aware of this. As far as Mako will know, I am Avatar Korra. I promise you, this will work."

Korra's retort was a simple one as she averted Bijon's gaze. "Good, see that it does." 


	8. Mammoth Burger

"You've already heard about it, huh?" Mako leaned back in the booth he sat in as he pushed an empty plate away from himself. Bijon had arranged to meet Mako at one of Korra's preferred diners to discuss the number of reports from those who had their bending taken away from them.

"It's kind of hard not to hear about it, Mako. Everyone's talking about it, even Tenzin. He's wants Kya to take them to the Northern Air Temple until this all blows over." Bijon poked at his bowl of pudding absently with a spoon as he looked out the window towards Air Temple Island.

"Well Korra, I don't think it's going to blow over." Mako followed Bijon's gaze before leaning back against the soft cushion of the booth. "At least not unless we do something about it. I'm surprised you're not out there trying to find this new Amon. How could there be someone out there dressed as him who can take away bending?"

"I don't know, but we'll get to the bottom of it. You can even use those detective skills that you're so proud of!" Bijon jokingly pointed the spoon at Mako with a grin before taking a bite. Mako only smirked before staring down at his empty plate.

"I really should've ordered more to eat. Asami and Bolin stopped in this morning to talk about people having their bending taken away and... I wanted to have breakfast, but you know what Bolin gets like when he's hungry." Mako rolled his eyes, and Bijon could only smile with his mouthful of pudding. Of course he knew, he had access to Korra's memories. It was then that Mako sighed and sunk into his seat slightly. "Speak of the devil."

Bijon looked over his shoulder to spot Bolin entering with Pabu resting on his shoulder. He wasted no time in approaching the diner's counter and slapping some money down. "How 'bout a mammoth burger for the great Nuktuk and his loyal animal companion Juji?"

"Bolin!" Mako raised his arm to get his brother's attention.

"Oh, hey! There you guys are!" Bolin smirked to the young woman working behind the counter, pointing towards the table Bijon and Mako were sitting at. "I'll be over there, okay?" As Bolin made his way towards the table, Bijon couldn't help but stare at Pabu, who suddenly braced himself against Bolin's shoulder and growled as much as his little throat allowed. "Whoa, Pabu! Cut it out! That's Korra and Mako, what's wrong with you?"

Mako sighed and looked between the ferret and his brother. "Has he even eaten today, Bolin? You didn't spare a single crumb earlier when you cleaned out my apartment."

Bolin simply looked at Pabu both in confusion and slight frustration as he shook his head. "It's not that Mako, this is Pabu we're talking about!" As Bolin reached up towards small ferret, he quickly retreated behind Bolin's shoulder. Bolin tried his best to look over his shoulder towards his pet. "What's gotten into you, Pabu!?"

Bijon watched nervously, well aware of what was likely amiss. Did Pabu somehow sense that there was something deeply wrong with Korra? Was his plan potentially at risk of being ruined by a ferret of all things? Not wanting to risk it, Bijon quickly slid out of the booth. "Oh yeah! I forgot that I have to meet with the President. I'll, uh, catch you two later?"

Mako nodded as he looked away from Bolin and Pabu to Bijon. "Yeah, we'll see if we can figure anything out in the meantime."

As Bijon started to move past Bolin, Pabu erupted from behind Bolin's shoulder and braced himself once more, growling like a pocket sized bear. Bolin stepped away from Bijon quickly, swatting at Pabu. "Hey, cut it out! That's Korra, what's your problem!?"

Bijon stepped away quickly, hoping to make a fast exit. "I'm just... going to go!"

The brothers watched as Bijon exited the diner in a hurry before each glancing to Pabu, who was now his calm and curious self. Bolin shook his head in confusion. "Huh, that was weird. I'm gonna go see if that burger's ready. Nuktuk needs food!"

Mako squinted as he peered out the window, watching Bijon walking away. "Yeah bro, you do that."

As Bolin returned to the counter, Mako continued to stare out the window, quirking a brow in slight confusion. "Where are you going, Korra? City hall's in the opposite direction." Meanwhile, back at the counter, an excited and happy Pabu danced around on Bolin's shoulder at the arrival of the oversized burger that had been ordered. 


End file.
